They are already scouring the rugby hinterlands for medical jokers to provide cover for prop Wian Du Preez and flanker Pierrick Gunther, who are due to have operations on Monday to repair a ruptured left achilles tendon and ruptured anterior ligaments respectively. Both players, who only joined the club during the brief close season are expected to be out of action for six months.
For a while, it looked like the deep-pocketed Top 14 side were in the running for the signature of a certain Adam Jones, but he has this week… finally… committed his future to Cardiff Blues – and has written a letter to Ospreys fans to tell them all about it.
It’s a long way from perfect preparation for their second match in France’s top flight, against Stade Francais at Stade Jean Bouin – which is not the place to go for any side looking for their first points in the championship.
Lyon gave a decent account of themselves in a tryless 18-9 defeat at Bordeaux last week, but will have to find a sharper attacking edge if they’re going to head home from Paris on Saturday night with any points in the bag.
Montpellier are also counting the cost of the opening weekend. Prop David Attoub ruptured a tendon in his bicep against Racing Metro last weekend and will be out for between four and five months.
Worse for the Herault side, hooker Charles Geli, who was sent off for throwing a few punches at the end of a niggly first half, has been suspended pending a disciplinary hearing on September 3. The two clubs, too, have been summoned to explain the behaviour of their players.
But they will have taken heart from their second-half performance last Saturday. The 14 men of Montpellier gave Racing a real scare before Jonny Sexton settled nerves with a late penalty.
Speaking of Racing Metro, rumours are circulating in the French press that last season’s big-money signing Sexton will turn his back on the option in his contract for a one-year extension and will head back to Leinster to prepare for the World Cup in 2015 when his contract with the Paris bluebloods comes to an end.
Meanwhile, new signing Luke Charteris may be out for up to six weeks with a foot injury. The ciel-et-bleu are at Bordeaux, where their mean defence will have to be at its best against a free-scoring side desperate to make up for last week’s try-fast.
Kodela’s injury has given Ibanez a selection headache. With Benjamin Sa still recovering from a shoulder injury, he may be forced to field one of two up-and-coming youngsters in Georgian Zaza Navrozahvili or Civil Xerom to supplement Patrick Toetu.
The consensus of opinion among the rugby cognescenti in France is that he may even move veteran Jean-Baptiste Poux to his least-favoured side of the front row.
The selection situation is worse for Bayonne’s new coach Patricio Noriega. After last week’s season-opening defeat at home to Toulon, he would have been banking on a more straightforward home game against Oyonnax.
That was before Martin Bustos Moyano picked up a knee injury that will keep him out for four weeks, while veteran centre Joe Rokocoko and Jean Monribot are also doubts this week having picked up knocks against the Var side last Friday. All this and Gabiriele Lovobalavu, too, whose fractured forearm will keep him out of action for four months.
Oyonnax, meanwhile, are still cursing the referee in charge of their opening-day defeat at Toulouse. Coach Christophe Urios believes that debutant ref Mr Chalon “lacked the courage” to penalise the host’s international flanker Yannick Nyanga for putting his hands in the ruck at the death. Had he done so, Benjamin Urdapilleta would have had a shot at goal to win the game.
That said, injuries to those key Bayonne players may just give the visitors the edge…
On the plus side for the Jaunards, Pierre, Kayser, Lacrampe and Davies have all been declared fit to play.
They’re away at surprise Top 14 leaders Brive. It could be an interesting game as the hosts found some attacking flair last weekend, scoring four tries – an eighth of the 32 they managed in the whole of the 2013/14 season.
Toulon haven’t escaped the early season injury plague. Freddie Michalak and Leigh Halfpenny, who both missed last Friday’s opening night, are still uncertain to start against La Rochelle, as is Marmuke “Gorgodzilla”. All three missed training earlier in the week.
But the Top 14 weekend opens with the Midi Pyrenees derby between Toulouse and Castres at Stade Ernest Wallon. Defensive errors at the death cost the visitors dearly last weekend. They will have worked hard on their tackling and discipline this week, but – like many other sides – their biggest worry is an ever-increasing injury list. Talisman Rodrigo Capo-Ortega is a doubt, but is being given as much time as possible to recover from an arm injury before a decision on whether he will play is made.
The Tarn side are without key quartet Sitiveni Sivivatu, Benjamin Desroches, Yannick Forestier and Karena Wihongi – though they are likely to welcome back lock Richie Gray.
That’s it for now. Feel free to comment below, please look for and “Like” our Facebook Rugby Wrap Up Page and follow us on Twitter@ :RugbyWrapUp, Junoir Blaber, Nick Hall, James Harrington, Jamie Wall, Jaime Loyd, DJ Eberle, Cody Kuxmann, Karen Ritter, Jake Frechette and Declan Yeats, respectively.
